The Northern Chamber Orchestra (NCO) is a professional chamber orchestra founded in 1967 and based in Manchester, England - the longest-established ensemble of its kind in the North West. Around 25 musicians perform mostly without a conductor, led from the violin, across a repertoire stretching from baroque to contemporary. The NCO holds a residency at the Buxton Festival and records for labels including Naxos and Orchid Classics.
The NCO released 'Kaleidoscope' on Orchid Classics (27 June 2025), a clarinet album with soloist Elizabeth Jordan and conductor Stephen Barlow spanning nearly 275 years of repertoire.
The NCO put its 2025-26 concert season on sale in June 2025, featuring soloists Steven Osborne OBE, Julian Bliss and Alec Frank-Gemmill.
Music Director Zoë Beyers was additionally announced as the new leader of Britten Sinfonia in 2025, while retaining her NCO role.
On 23 July 2024 the NCO announced violinist Zoë Beyers as Music Director and Sarah Brandwood-Spencer as Associate Director, replacing Nicholas Ward who had led the orchestra from 1985 to 2022.
